No Power Steering/brakes - Broken Shaft In Pump

[dretep1]

I did find out that NHTSA has started an investigation on this defect. If you have a chevy truck and it is around the 2000 model year, 2500 or 3500 series and the power steering pump shaft broke leaving you with no brakes or power steering that you might want to actively pursue the details as listed below. So far I have gotten GM to pay for the part which alone is over $300.00 bucks.

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NHTSA Action Number : PE04004 NHTSA Recall Campaign Number :
Make : CHEVROLET Model: C2500
Manufacturer : GENERAL MOTORS CORP. Year : 2000
Component : SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Date Investigation Opened : January 8, 2004
Date Investigation Closed : Open

Summary:
NHTSA HAS RECEIVED 19 REPORTS FROM OWNERS OF GENERAL MOTORS 2500/3500 SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS ALLEGING A LOSS OF POWER BRAKE AND/OR POWER STEERING. THESE REPORTS CLAIM FRACTURING OF THE HYDRAULIC PUMP SHAFT IS THE CAUSE FOR THE POWER ASSIST LOSS. LOSS OF POWER BRAKE AND/OR POWER STEERING WILL INCREASE THE BRAKE PEDAL FORCE AND/OR STEERING EFFORT NECESSARY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. GM HAS USED SEVERAL DIFFERENT HYDRAULIC PUMPS FOR EACH MODEL YEAR. ODI WILL CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHICH HYDRAULIC PUMPS ARE FAILING BY VEHICLE MODEL AND MODEL YEAR AND THE CONSEQUENCE ON VEHICLE CONTROL.

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This occurred on Saturday, 1/31/04.

Vehicle make: 2500 Chevrolet Silverado, 3/4 ton, 6' bed, 6L engine

Description: I had to make a tight right hand turn from a gas station onto the main road in Syracuse, New York as opposing traffic was coming at me.

After I completed the turn and started to head South on the main four lane road I immediately found out that the power steering was quite rough. Quite rough was not the word for it as there was no power steering! About a block from that point I had to brake and found out that there were no power assisted brakes on the vehicle.

No idiot lights came on at all and this presented quite a serious problem especially with the snow plow attached. Both the fluid in the master brake and power steering cylinders were right up to normal levels and the serpentine belt was relatively new and intact!

Trust me that I am not happy about this at all from a vehicle that has only 30,000 miles on it and has been plagued with various major problems throughout its somewhat youthful history including two (2) full brake jobs to date.

I'm just thankful that no one was hurt including myself. I want this letter to be relayed to the Chevrolet Zone Manager and I would like their input on the issues that have been presented. As a consumer there is no way that both the power steering and brakes should have gone at the same time, plus, the fact that there were no indications of a major problem from the message center or dashboard.

There very easily could have been a different ending to this story especially with the type of Winter weather and road conditions we have been having as of late here in Upstate New York.

[NUCLEUS.ONE]

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